


Doing Okay

by mtac_archivist



Category: NCIS
Genre: Character Study, Episode Related, Episode: s02e14 Witness, Gen, Not a Crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-08
Updated: 2009-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 10:39:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13316382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mtac_archivist/pseuds/mtac_archivist
Summary: Set immediately after Witness. With Kate and DiNozzo having left for the evening, McGee is finishing off his letter to Erin's parents.





	Doing Okay

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Jessi, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [ MTAC](https://fanlore.org/wiki/MTAC), an archive of NCIS fanfiction which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after August 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator (and this work is still attached to the archivist account), please contact me using the e-mail address on [ the MTAC collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/mtac/profile)

McGee gave a heartfelt sigh of relief as, still arguing with one another, Kate and DiNozzo left the office.

Finally he had some much needed peace to allow him to finish the letter to Erin\\\\\'s parents.

When he\\\\\'d started it, it had seemed like a good idea. In fact, it had seemed like the only thing he could do; the thing he wanted to do.

Now he wasn\\\\\'t so sure.

What did he say to them? 

What did he say to the parents whose daughter had died because she had witnessed a crime and done the \\\\\'right thing\\\\\' by reporting it?

What did he say to the parents whose daughter had died because she had witnessed a crime and he, Timothy McGee a trained Federal Agent, had failed to save her life?

Should he be even be a Federal Agent? 

He had, after all, made one of the most basic mistakes when he\\\\\'d gone to Erin\\\\\'s aid: he had failed to clear the room. Kate had told him it wasn\\\\\'t his fault Erin was dead, and he knew that, he knew that really, but it doesn\\\\\'t help.

_If you’re going to shoot him, you should have done it while he was running!_ Clearly, too clearly, he heard Gibbs\\\\\'s words in his head. Had he really, even for a second, contemplated killing Pryor? Was that who he was? Is that why he\\\\\'d become a Federal Agent?

Gibbs! Suddenly he realized his boss was still there. What would he think about him writing a sympathy letter? It wasn\\\\\'t the kind of thing Gibbs did; the kind of thing Gibbs would even consider doing. It wasn\\\\\'t the kind of thing DiNozzo would do, or even Kate. Was it the kind of thing a Federal Agent did?

He looked up and found Gibbs watching him. He swallowed hard. \\\\\"Boss, I was just –\\\\\"

\\\\\"Writing a sympathy letter. Yeah, know that, McGee.\\\\\" Gibbs tone was not his harsh or sardonic one.

\\\\\"You don\\\\\'t mind?\\\\\"

\\\\\"Why should I?\\\\\"

\\\\\"Well, it\\\\\'s not the kind of thing Federal Agents usually do, is it, boss? Tony would never –\\\\\"

\\\\\"You\\\\\'re not, Tony, Tim. Remember that. You\\\\\'re different and that\\\\\'s okay.\\\\\"

McGee swallowed again. \\\\\"Er, yes, boss. The problem is, I\\\\\'m not sure I can –\\\\\"

\\\\\"McGee. You got your report right first time. If anyone can write a sympathy letter, you can.\\\\\" And with those words, Gibbs stood up and grabbed his coat. \\\\\"See you in the morning, McGee.\\\\\"

\\\\\"Yes, boss. And thank you.\\\\\" But the last two words were said to an empty space where Gibbs had hitherto been.

Suddenly the right words came and McGee bent his head and returned to writing the letter.

Yes, he _should_ be a Federal Agent. He might not yet be, he wasn\\\\\'t, as good a one as DiNozzo or Kate, but he was getting there. He was doing okay. After all, test or not, Gibbs _had_ trusted him enough to send him to interview Erin in the first place. And had then accepted his word when he\\\\\'d told him they should roll.

He _was_ doing okay.

With the words coming easily and quickly, he finished the letter; read it through one more time; signed his name, put it into and envelope and addressed it. Then taking it with him, he wanted to post it himself, he picked up his own coat, turned off his desk lamp and left the building.


End file.
